Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge

Fort Niobrara Refuge, established in 1912, is located on the northern edge of the Nebraska Sandhills along the Niobrara River with a total of 19,131 acres. An unusual mix of topography, soils, and rock formations along with differing exposures to sun, wind, and moisture creates a rich diversity of plants and animals. Forests and riparian areas (habitat bordering streams, lakes, wetlands) border the river; conifer forests grow on drier hillsides and canyon slopes; and mixed-grass prairie is found on the tablelands north of the river and sand hills to the south. Sharp-tailed grouse, greater prairie chickens, and a variety of migratory birds thrive on the Refuge along with bison, other resident mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.

In 1960, a 200 acre stand of Ponderosa pine in the northern portion of the Refuge was designated as a Research Natural Area; and in 1976, approximately 4,635 acres in the northern portion of the Refuge, including the Niobrara River corridor, was designated as Nebraska’s first Wilderness Area. In 1982, five miles of the Niobrara River on the Refuge was designated as a National Canoe Trail, and in 1991, a total of 76 miles of the Niobrara River including the entire stretch of River through the Refuge was designated by Congress as a Scenic River.